What The Teck?

Charinna Kushnir is the Executive Vice President of Sales at Data Canopy, a company that offers infrastructure as a service to deliver data center solutions for the new economy. In her role, she has increased Data Canopy's sales productivity and improved vendor and client relationships. With more than 20 years of experience in channel sales, Charinna specializes in helping clients architect customized solutions focused on each company's individual needs, budget, and future goals. Before Data Canopy, she was the Director of Channel Sales at Momentum Telecom.

As remote work becomes mainstream, traditional hardware systems and antiquated servers are struggling to handle the demand. Cloud environments provide viable solutions to organize workflow, yet many businesses have preconceived notions about them and often fail to consider data security, costs, and servers. So what should you know about migrating to the cloud, and how can you maximize its full potential?

According to Charinna Kushnir, the average lifespan of a conventional server is three to four years. The cloud offers more resiliency and efficiency since you don't have to handle equipment failure. But it's critical to consider the overhead maintenance associated with cloud environments. For instance, many companies struggle to disseminate their data upon migration. So Charinna recommends allocating your workload to both public and private cloud environments to reduce egress fees. Additionally, while cloud servers provide greater security than on-premises systems, you must invest in disaster recovery plans to avoid costly data breaches. By optimizing your cloud environment, you can boost ROI and focus on scaling your business.

In this episode of What The Teck? Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly sit down with Charinna Kushnir, Executive Vice President of Sales at Data Canopy, to discuss key considerations for migrating to the cloud. Charinna also talks about providing top-notch customer service, how social media promotes brand recognition, and the importance of a disaster recovery plan.

Nicole Middendorf is the CEO and Wealth Advisor at Prosperwell Financial, a woman-owned financial practice that provides wealth management advice to help individuals and companies develop financial independence. She is also the author of five books, a world traveler, a philanthropist, and a public speaker. As Prosperwell Financial's wealth advisor and certified divorce financial analyst, Nicole helps people find happiness in life and feel comfortable with their money through one-on-one client meetings, writing books, presenting at conferences, and appearing on TV, radio, and other media.

Financial literacy is vital to leading a fulfilling and prosperous life. Yet many people struggle to break their poor spending habits, which impacts their relationships and lifestyle. So how can you develop a secure budget to live the life you want?

As a domestic violence survivor, Nicole Middendorf recognized a disproportion in financial allotments among divorced women. She established a foundation to provide these women with financial support and resources to help them recover. As a wealth advisor, Nicole also focuses on creating enjoyable activities to educate children and partners on the value of money management. If you want to develop healthier spending habits, Nicole says to determine your reason for saving money and discover what you value most in your journey.

In today's episode of What The Teck?, Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly invite Nicole Middendorf, CEO and Wealth Advisor at Prosperwell Financial, to speak about how she encourages people to develop intelligent spending habits. Nicole explains how her foundation gives back to the community, the obstacles to financial literacy in public schools, and her advice for developing a healthy relationship with money.

Tyler Jefcoat is the Founder and CEO of Seller Accountant, a company that helps Amazon sellers achieve maximum profitability through bookkeeping and strategy services. He provides financial coaching for sellers exceeding $100 million per year in e-commerce sales. Tyler also leads the Sellers Roundtable, an exclusive mastermind for seven and eight-figure sellers. Before founding Seller Accountant, he was the Co-founder and Managing Partner at Care to Continue, a home healthcare company that grew from zero to 100 employees within four years.

Is Amazon a profitable platform for sellers? In 2022, the website's traffic declined by 40-50%, while ad costs increased by 20-40%. So how can you maximize your business' value to succeed in that marketplace?

According to Tyler Jefcoat, success in a volatile market is not about generating sales but maximizing profitability. Three factors drive enterprise brand value on Amazon: business financials, profit margins, and target customers. Invest in QuickBooks Online or similar software to optimize accounting and understand your expenses and investments. Next, Tyler says to analyze your profit margins by focusing on PAG (post-advertising gross) profit to determine your total generated revenue and its sources. It's also critical to develop long-term relationships with your customers by focusing on a specific product category that targets their needs, solves their problems, and produces a desired outcome.

In this episode of What The Teck? Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly sit down with Tyler Jefcoat, Founder and CEO of Seller Accountant, to discuss top tips for optimizing your Amazon seller account. Tyler addresses developments in the Amazon aggregator space, profitable Amazon seller strategies, and how specialized seller accounts impact purchasing decisions.

Richard Blank is the CEO, President, and Bilingual Telemarketing Trainer for Costa Rica's Call Center, a state-of-the-art BPO telemarketing outsourcing company. Through his motivational public speaking style and appropriate rhetoric, Richard has been a proven bilingual trainer for 12 years.

He also manages a school for advanced telemarketing and soft skills and is often sought-after for private training sessions and consultations. To expand Costa Rica's telecommunications and business appeal, Richard became a strategic partner of the Pacific Rim Chamber of Commerce and Solo Telecommunications.

In the past, telemarketing call centers were restricted to offshore countries and were compared to Hollywood boiler rooms. When modernized for today's social conditions, these centers can provide employee agents with learning and professional growth opportunities. So how can you facilitate a positive experience for both agents and clients?

Telecommunications expert Richard Blank regards the work performed in modern call centers as an art form. These centers are social environments that differ from virtual interactions, so it's crucial to equip your agents with the verbal communication, active listening, and soft skills needed to engage with clients. Richard is empathetic toward his agents' needs and work styles and encourages them to embody the same level of empathy when speaking to clients. When you cultivate a socially enriching company culture, your agents are more likely to perform their tasks with passion rather than complacency.

CEO of Costa Rica's Call Center Richard Blank joins Rolando Rosas in this episode of What The Teck? to talk about optimizing call centers for the modern work environment. Richard addresses call center stereotypes and modern call center trends, how call centers maximize productivity and encourage professional growth, and how to train employees in telecommunications and soft skills.

Seneca Hampton is the Founder of Hampton Adams, Amazon's leading athletic tape brand. Hampton Adams serves over 600,000 customers and has produced over $15 million in revenue. As an entrepreneur and Amazon expert, Seneca has built multiple seven and eight-figure businesses in e-commerce, logistics, consulting, and speaking. He gained notoriety by appearing on Shark Tank, where he demonstrated how he scaled Hampton Adams.

What does it take to launch a business on Amazon? The seller's landscape is cutthroat and volatile, with failure just as common as success. So what makes an Amazon business profitable?

Learn from the founder of Amazon's most successful athletic tape brand. After missing out on a $250,000 business deal, Seneca Hampton read, attended, and consumed countless commerce books, courses, seminars, podcasts, and webinars to gain comprehensive sales knowledge. He discovered that when it comes to Amazon, the most important aspects to consider are pricing, rankings, and product and seller reviews. Instead of lowering your prices, Seneca recommends boosting your rankings by offering product discounts. This ensures positive reviews and converts buyers away from competitors.

Join Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly in this episode of What The Teck? as they learn from Seneca Hampton, Founder of Hampton Adams, about selling on Amazon to turn a profit. Seneca explains the common mistakes sellers make on Amazon, the secrets to a profitable Amazon business, and the importance of competitive pricing.

Stephen G. Pope is the Founder and CEO of SGP Labs, which helps businesses create, scale, and distribute persuasive video content to build an audience. He helps busy people and organizations build automated content systems through coaching, consulting, and done-for-you solutions. Before SGP Labs, Steven founded and sold Project Ricochet, where he helped startups, mid-sized, and large companies create custom software to innovate, streamline, and grow their companies.

Video content creation is necessary for audience retention, yet many people feel insecure on camera, while others don't have time to put in the effort. With so many content forms and mediums and seemingly a lot to learn, what are some best practices for creating engaging content?

If you're short on time, Stephen G. Pope suggests appearing on podcasts. If you spend between two and three hours a week recording video interviews, you can repurpose the content for short-form TikTok videos. Even though longer podcasts may not receive many views, the condensed versions you share on social media will engage audiences on multiple platforms. The more videos you create and share, the more confidence you'll gain. Eventually, you can generate fresh content that showcases your personality and conveys a meaningful story.

Tune in to this episode of What The Teck? as Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly speak with Stephen G. Pope, Founder and CEO of SGP Labs, about modern-day content creation. Stephen explains the importance of storytelling in content creation, how social media content creation encourages confidence, and tips for generating and optimizing short-form content.

Aron Sogi is a TikTok content creator sharing daily video and smartphone content creation tips. He has 13 years of experience in the film industry, having worked on prominent films, including The Dark Knight Rises, Murder on the Orient Express, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Do you have what it takes to be a professional content creator? 50% of TikTok users exit a video within the first two to three seconds. So, how can you optimize content to maximize engagement?

According to TikTok content creator Aron Sogi, you have to meet your audience where they are and customize content for different platforms. Instagram is an aesthetic-focused platform, so users expect artistic photos and videos. Conversely, TikTok users are interested in the process rather than the results so, to retain them, it's crucial to implement three attention-grabbing hooks within the first few seconds of each video. These entail establishing the ideal audience, communicating the problem, and creating curiosity. Aron says that framing these hooks with a negative connotation can encourage audiences to keep watching and take action.

In today's episode of What The Teck?, join Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly as they chat with content creator Aron Sogi about optimizing video content for various audiences. Aron shares the challenges of creating video messages in different mediums, how to use TikTok Promote and analytics tools, and three attention-grabbers for boosting engagement on TikTok.

Will Christensen is the Co-founder and President of DataAutomation, a software company that automates data-heavy processes and builds custom integrations. He is also the Interim Product Manager for SellerLabs, which he manages through his holding company, EquityHammer. SellerLabs enables Amazon sellers to automate their manual processes around messaging, advertising, and data. As a go-to-market specialist, Will takes product iterations from zero to 100 customers.

Data and other forms of automation can be a substantial time saver for businesses. Yet, many companies are hesitant to adopt this technology based on the stigma that it replaces jobs. So, how can you leverage automation to enhance innovation, streamline operations, and maximize ROI?

Before initiating any automation practices, Will Christensen stresses embracing an automation culture to educate your team on the process and ensure they're on board with the idea. He has created a strategic method to identify which processes to automate. The 15-1-1-5 approach allows you to determine the time spent on mundane tasks. To begin automating these processes, it's essential to recognize your data's current and future locations, what needs to happen to transfer the data, and how each task originated. The result is greater revenue and time spent on productive operations.

Tune in to this episode of What The Teck? as Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly consult with Will Christensen, Co-Founder and President of DataAutomation, about automating business systems. Will also addresses automation's impact on the workforce, the best data automation solutions, and how to calculate automation value and ROI.

Todd Miller is the VP of Technology Solutions at Nitel, a next-generation technology services provider. Nitel simplifies enterprise organizations' complex technology challenges to create seamless and integrated managed network solutions. Todd has held various roles at Nitel, including VP of Product and Sales Engineering and VP of Information Technology and Product Engineering. Before Nitel, he was the Chief Technology Officer at John Drake & Associates and the Network Services and Security Practice Leader at CIBER.

As businesses shift to remote work, employees are experiencing sluggish network connections resulting from bandwidth constraints. So, how can you adapt to these limitations and optimize contemporary work styles?

According to telecommunications expert Todd Miller, the major internet providers have taken steps to upgrade their networks and increase broadband capacities to accommodate greater demand. For the time being, Todd recommends adopting an SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) solution. This comprehensive infrastructure combines multiple technologies into a single capability to conserve bandwidth. Implementing this software into your home improves the consistency, predictability, and overall quality of your remote work experience.

In this episode of What The Teck? Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly welcome Todd Miller, VP of Technology Solutions at Nitel, to discuss leveraging modern technology solutions to adapt to remote work. Todd addresses remote work efficiency, how remote work has impacted technology deployments, and the common causes of slow network connections.

Sascha Segan is the Senior Public Relation Manager at Qualcomm, the world's leading wireless technology innovator. Previously, he was the Lead Mobile Analyst for PCMag at Ziff Davis. PCMag covers the latest technology, product reviews, news, tips, and deals. During his time at PCMag, Sascha wrote and directed coverage of mobile phones, tablets, wireless carriers, wrote opinion columns, developed new editorial products, and reviewed over a thousand products. He also appeared in national and international media discussing wireless industry topics.

With the widespread adoption of remote work, one concern remains top of mind for people: finding an area where they can live and work simultaneously. So, what are the top-rated locations for remote work?

Sascha Segan compiled economic, cultural, and demographic factors and internet speed measurements to compose an article detailing the best work-from-home cities in the US and Canada. He discovered that Philadelphia offers affordable living for city-goers, while the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, Baltimore and Maryland are known for their diverse populations. Sascha ranked Chattanooga, Tennessee, as the #1 place to live while working remotely due to its affordable real estate, business-friendly administrations, and widely available broadband internet. Whether you prefer cityscapes or quiet country living, Sascha's article has all the information you need to accommodate individual work styles and preferences.

Tune in to this episode of What The Teck? as Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly welcome Sascha Segan, former Lead Mobile Analyst for PCMag, to discuss the top places to live while working from home. Sascha explains his research process and testing methodologies for writing his article, the key factors and data points influencing the best remote work cities, and the future of 5G and its role in remote work.